Lots of generalisations here, but for the record I can track and kill an animal with a gun or a bow. I can ride a horse and make beer neither of which are difficult indeed driving a car is harder to master than learn to ride a horse even jumping is difficult so long as you show no fear otherwise it sense this and refuse the jump.
With regards to your last point I totally disagree perhaps the teachers were unable to explain the real world use of things like Pythagoras theory. There have been many situations where I need to drop back elementary maths. The time I fitted some solar panels in the garden being a basic example. Without knowing how calculate the length of a side knowing some angles and other lengths this task would have been impossible or the net result would have been compromised.
But as has been pointed out we live in a consumer society. People would rather pay extra since they lack confidence.
I said in my post it was a generalisation - that was the point to it.
Also with previous generations - the medieval hunter gatherer types had no guns, you could not order your weapons online or pick them up from the shops, your hunting was limited to what you could fashion together with sticks and rock and twine.
But nobody has to do that anymore, people that do hunt - and many do choose to do this, tend to do it as a leisure activity. It's no longer a necessity to survive.
I disagree with the horse riding comment - it is a difficult skill that takes a lifetime to master, it is a relationship built on trust and care and mutual respect, the most competent rider is still at risk of their horse spooks, trips, refuses a jump or lands awkwardly. In the modern day and age horses and riders are most at risk from cars on the roads, if an idiot boy racer is coming at you at 70 miles an hour down a narrow lane AP McCoy couldn't get himself out of that situation.
Driving a car can be 'mastered' (to DVLA standards - possibly a debate for another time) in weeks, cars are in comparison care free, safer, more cost and time efficient and a more comfortable 'ride' for most people.
My comment regarding the riding is that again it is an outdated necessity, animals are not generally required in order to get from A to B, riding has become a leisure activity and it's a skill many have not acquired. I ride and know many that do but I know more people that don't.
There are exceptions to every generalisation - from personal experience I have never had to work use much of my GCSE maths, I learnt it and have now all but forgotten most of it. If I need to know it again - I'm pretty sure there will be an app for it though I never once said this was true of everyone.
